Fork.



PATENTED AUG. 7 1906. L. E. PATCH.

FORK.

PPLIOATION FILED APR.5.1906.

LEONARD' Tarea; OF

Pagani? Omron.

CROWN POiNnSINDrANA.

"Specification or Letters-Patent.

Vlatented Aug.A 7," 1906.

Application filed-April 5, 1906. SerialNo. 310,167.

and useful Improvementsin Forksgfiandlf do declare the following to be afull, clear,f'and exact description of the.inventionfsuchas will enableothers skilledin theiart towwhich it appertainsto make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvementsin 'hay-forks. and the like; andLit* consists. in the,

novel construction, combination, `l @and war-y rangementof partshereinafter describedi and claimed. i

One object of the invention is to provide a ysimple and :practicaldevice `of this character which will effectively retain Jaquantityofhayupon it while being-lifted'or transported.: Another object of the`invention iis ,tov pro#` vide a device of'this'characterfinwhicha videdwith three prongs or quantity of hay-may be quickly andeasilyl lockedupon and releasedfrom the same.

The above `and lotherfob`ects, which will appear asvthe fnature of theinvention-isbet-i` ter understood, are accomplished by theconstructionillustrated I in the accompanying drawings, in-which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation of my improved pitchfork, showing the locking means in itsprojected position. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the topor cover plate re` moved and the locking means inits retracted position.Fig. 3- is a Vlongitudinal vertical sectional view Athrough the centertine or prong of the fork. Fig. 4 is a detail view of the cover or topplate; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail transverse sectional views taken,respectively, on the planes indicated by the lines 4 4 and 5 5 in Fig.1.

Referring to the drawings by numeral, 1 denotes the handle, and 2 thehead, of my improved hay or pitch fork. The head 2 is protines 3, 4, and5 and has at the center of its upper end a socket to receive thehandle 1. As shown, the head 2 is composed of a lower body section ormember 6 and an upper top or cover section 7 Each of the sections 6 7has upon itsupper end one of the half sections ory members 8 ofthehandle-socket, said halfsections S being of semicircular form incrosssection and tapered longitudinally. Their inner ends have aninterlocking connection formed by tongues 9 upon one adapted' to enterrecesses 101in the other, and `their outer endsare cutiaway upon theirside edges, as show-nat 11,. to engage shoulders 12iupon the handle 1 fwhich shoulders :areformed bypro- 4ducing `the :handle toupe-rmit it: toenter the n so cket, l as yclearly shown in Figs; l4fand v5 yofwtlieldrawings. The central Lincoln-prong 4 is very imuch broader thanthe two outeriones,

and ait islmade hollow, preferably'bygrooving or channeling the top `or:upper face ofthe `dowerorbody portion-6 of thefork, as shown din'fFzig.2. Thischannel lorligroove 14=is closed by the top or coverlsection- 7-and is provided-for the receptionofa sliding rod 15,

Awhichfalso extends into the tubularsocket S =and a`longitudinallyeeXtending recess 17 in --the lower end of the handle 1.Theflower endA of this'sliding rod 16 lias pivotediupon it, as shown at18, spurs or dogs 19,Y` which@ are adapted i lto be projected laterallythrough v'slots orlopen-ings 20 Kformed 2iny the opposite sides of. thecenter tine 4 adjacent to its y ointed end. These spurs or prongs areprowjecteddaterallvby their engagement with the V"end -Wall 21 ofthegroove 14,;fandr` they are caused'vtofswingl toward each otherrwhendrawn into `Vsaidsgroove by the end walls of the openings yas-willbereadi'lyfseen upon 1 reference Ato 'Fig'. l 2 f of the drawings.

The cover-plate 'or top `section 7' is prefer- -ablyremovablysecuredupon thelower body @portion 6 by means of screws or therlike 22,

rpassed `through yits crossed portion 23 and through -the -lower end 24-of its portion, which covers the groove 14. This end 24 is seated inthe recessed portion of the lower pointed end ofthe tine 4, as clearlyshown in the drawings. The upper end of the sliding rod or bar 15 isformed with a slot or opening 25 to receive atransverselyextendingscrew# rivet or the like 26, which also extends through longitudinalslots 27 in the upper ends of the half-sections 8 of the handlesocketand into a sliding sleeve or collar 28. The latter has its Outer surfacemilled, so that it is in the form of a hand-grip and slideslongitudinally upon the handle to shift the sliding rod 14, and henceproject or retract the locking spurs or dogs, the transverse screw orpin 26 sliding in the slots 27 when the sleeve or collar is shifted. Inorder to lock said sleeve or collar, and hence the spurs or dogs, ineither of their two positions, I

form in the socket-sections 8 at the ends of the slots 27- transversenotches or recesses IOO TIO

ings.

in which the screw or pin 26 is adapted to seat by giving the collar orsleeve a slight turn in the proper direction.

The construction, operation, and advantages of the invention will bereadily under- Stood from the foregoingA description, taken inconnection with the accompanying draw- It will be seen that Y ing thecollar or sleeve 28 and turning it lIo principle or sacrificingslightly, so that the transverse pin will be in alinement with the slots26, the sleeve may be shifted longitudinally upon thev handle to eitherproject or retract the lockingspurs or dogs and that by again slightlyturning the sleeve said parts may be locked in such adjusted position. Afork provided with a locking device of this character for retaining thehay Aupon its tines will be `found very efficient where it is desired tolift Yand carry a large quantity of hay, straw, or

the like from one point to another, since very little will be blown awayand practically none will be dropped.

'Various changes inthe form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the any of theadvantages of the invention as defined by the apoutwardly by thedirectingelements of the said tines when said rod-is moved outwardly,

. a sliding and partly-revoluble sleeve on said socket-piece, a handlefastened in the socketpiece and having a longitudinal slot regisbysimply grasptering with that of the socket-piece, and a 45 pinprojecting from the rod, operating in the slots, of the handle andsocket-piece and attached to the sleeve, for operation thereby,

substantially as set forth.

ment with said grooved tine, a top plate or section secured upon saidbody-section and having a socket portion, said socket portions beingadapted to receive said handle and formed with longitudinal slots, asliding rod in said grooved tine and'said socket portions, spurs pivotedupon the lower end of said rodand adapted to be projected throughopenings in said grooved tine, a slidingisleeve upon said socketportions and handle, and a transverse pin extending through said sleeve,said slots and an opening in said rod, substantially as described.

3. A hand-fork of tlie character .described comprising a body-sectionhaving oneof its tines grooved and a socket portion in alinement withsaid grooved tine, a top plate or section secured upon said bodysectionand having a socket portion, said socket portions being adapted toreceive said handle and formed with longitudinal slots, a sliding rod insaid grooved tine and said socket portions, spurs pivoted upon the lowerend of said rod and adapted to be projected through openings in saidgrooved tine, a sliding sleeve upon said socket portions and handle, andmeans for locking said sleeve against longitudinal movement.

In testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

LEONARD E. FA'TcH.

